All Grown Up - Baby Steps
by Goddess Isa
Summary: Response to Garnet's challenge to have Angel deal with his 16yo daughter's first date
1. Default Chapter

TITLE: Baby Steps  
AUTHOR: Goddess Isa  
EMAIL: goddessisa@aol.com  
SUMMARY: Response to Garnet's challenge to have Angel deal with his 16yo daughter's first date  
SPOILER: None  
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just email me & lmk where it's going - I like seeing my name in print =)  
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd have to have to Slay for it. =P  
RATING: TV-14  
DISCLAIMER: Okay, Aaron, Mia, Joanna, Ananda and Matt are mine. Buffy & Angel belong to Joss. He'd better take good care of them or else!   
  
  
  
"Did I miss it?" Aaron asked as he burst into the house. He threw his gym bag down on the living room floor and looked around anxiously.   
  
"No, and you won't be seeing anyone looking like that." Buffy said. She held her nose as she passed her son. "Go get a shower. And take that," she pointed to his bag, "With you."   
  
"I don't wanna miss him."   
  
"You'll just harrass him anyways, it's probably better that you're not here."   
  
"I'm her older brother," he whined as he went up the stairs. "I'm supposed to harrass him, it's my job."   
  
Aaron passed his father on the way to his room. Angel took one look at his son and said, "Hit the showers."   
  
  
*****   
  
  
"Mom?" Mia asked.   
  
Buffy finished frosting the cake and put the knife in the sink. "What is it?"   
  
"When I'm sixteen, is Daddy gonna act this way?"   
  
"What way?"   
  
"You haven't seen him?"   
  
"No, I've been baking and cooking all day."   
  
"Oooh," she stood up. "This is gonna be good."   
  
Buffy noticed her putting her jacket on. "Where are you going?"   
  
"Ananda ordered that Pay-Per-View Creed concert. We're going to watch it."   
  
"Those guys are still around?" Buffy asked. "I listened to them when I was in high school."   
  
"Bye Mom," Mia said. She paused at the second set of stairs that led up to the attic where Joanna lived. "Bye Joanna! GOOD LUCK!"   
  
Buffy shook her head at her daughter and was going to go up to see if Joanna needed any help when she heard a banging noise.   
  
She went into the living room and saw that Angel was banging his own head on the wall.   
  
"Honey, don't." she said gently. "It's not the end of the world."   
  
"I know, but it's either this or my game face."   
  
"Bang away," she turned around and nearly collided with Aaron. His mouth was full of chocolate chip cookies and he was dropping crumbs as he walked through the house. He paused to guzzle down some milk and Buffy gave him a Look. "Aaron, you're eating all that junk and we haven't had dinner yet."   
  
"This isn't junk - you made the cookies. And after I see Dad kill Joanna's date I've got a date of my own."   
  
"If it's with Julia, tell her mother I said hello," Buffy said before going after the Dustbuster to pick up the crumbs.   
  
  
*****   
  
  
"Daddy, help!"   
  
Angel took off his goggles and smock and put his airbrush down. He looked out the window and saw Buffy sitting at their picnic table with Mia on her lap. Aaron was playing with his basketball net and Joanna was outside the window with her bicycle helmet in her hand.   
  
"I'll be right out," Angel told her. He turned his work lights off and went into the yard. They had solar lights all over so that he and Buffy could be outside with their kids after dusk when he was safe from the sunlight.   
  
"I wanna ride," she told him.   
  
"You sure?" he asked. "It's pretty dark."   
  
"Please?" she smiled at him and he knew that she knew she had him. He helped her put her helmet on and then he held the back of her bike while she carefully pedaled.   
  
"Hold me," she said when she began peddaling down on the sidewalk in front of their house. "Hold me."   
  
"I've got you baby, you won't fall."   
  
Angel followed her around the yard a few times before finally he knew he could let her go. He did and she road around on her own. She turned a corner and when she realized he wasn't holding on, she didn't stop. She went faster.   
  
They went all the way around the block and got back to their house to find Buffy waiting with Mia in her arms.   
  
"I did it Mommy!" Joanna said proudly.   
  
"I know, I'm so proud of you." Buffy told her. "You're a big girl now."   
  
Angel looked at her and realized she was growing up before his very eyes.   
  
  
  
*****   
  
  
"Dad, wake up!"   
  
"Huh?" Angel stirred.   
  
"Dad, get up!"   
  
His eyes focused and he saw Joanna standing in front of him, all grown up.   
  
She was sixteen, still a girl in some ways, but in others, so much like her mother. Half adult, half child.   
  
"Well?" she spun around in her pale purple gown. "What do you think?"   
  
Her dark hair was in a French twist and a tiny tiara sat on top of her head.   
  
"You look beautiful." he told her.   
"Really?"   
"Really."   
"Thanks."   
  
"You got a minute?" he asked her.   
  
She sat down on the couch next to him. "Homecoming doesn't start until eight, but we're gonna go out to eat first. Matt'll be here any second now."   
  
"What's your first memory of being a child?"   
  
She didn't have to think about it. "When I jumped off the front porch and had to go get seven stitches in my arm."   
  
"You remember that? You were two and a half."   
  
"It hurt like Hell, of course I remember it." she looked at him for a moment. She could see the memories in his eyes but asked anyways. "What's yours?"   
  
"Of my childhood or yours?"   
  
She laughed. "Of mine."   
  
"When you were born--"   
  
"No, I mean after that."   
  
"Oh. It was your fourth birthday. And we took you to Toys R Us so you could pick out a gift. Aaron wanted everything in the store, and he cried every time we told him it wasn't his birthday."   
  
"He still does that on mine and Mia's birthdays and you guys always buy him something anyway." she shook her head.   
  
"You were the cutest thing. Four years old and all you wanted was a stuffed Porky Pig."   
  
"Porky?"   
  
Angel nodded. "He was your fave."  
  
"Did they have one?"   
  
"Of course not. So we went all over and finally, at the very last store, we found a teeny tiny one. And you took it and said 'thank you' and that you wanted to go home now."   
  
Joanna just stared at him, wondering why he remembered that.   
  
"I realized something just now, Jo. You're all grown up. Homecoming, then prom, then it'll be graduation, and college, and marriage."   
  
"Dad, I'm--"   
  
"It's just hard for me." he admitted. "I hate watching you grow up. Leaving me behind."   
  
"I'm not leaving you behind, Dad." she lifted up her dress to show him the ankle bracelet he'd gotten her for her Sweet Sixteen. "I never take this off, you know that. You'll always be with me."   
  
The doorbell rang and she stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to do.   
  
"You'd better get upstairs," he told her. "I'll let him in and you can make your entrance."   
  
"Thanks, Dad." She beamed at her father before disappearing up the staircase.   
  
He watched her, seeing his little girl with pigtails and missing front teeth go up, and a woman come back down.  



	2. Butterfly Kisses

TITLE: Butterfly Kisses  
AUTHOR: Goddess Isa  
EMAIL: goddessisa@aol.com  
SUMMARY: Angel remembers the past on his daughter's wedding day. Companion to 'Baby Steps' but you don't need to read it to get this.  
SPOILER: None  
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just email me & lmk where it's going - I like seeing my name in print =)  
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd have to have to Slay for it. =P  
RATING: TV-PG  
DISCLAIMER: Buffy and Angel belong to Joss (I almost wrote Spike. Don't know why). Everyone else is MINE all MINE!!! Butterfly Kisses is by Bob Carlisle  
DEDICATED: To Garnet, for inspiring it and Sandee; she knows why   
  
  
  
"Mom!!!!" Mia came running down the stairs. "Mom, I tore my dress!"   
  
"Mia, come here." Buffy was a mass of nerves as it was. It wasn't every day that her daughter got married, and now her other daughter was bringing her crisis after crisis. The dress was number four, before that it was her hair, her eye makeup and her broken earrings.   
  
"Okay," Angel came out of the kitchen adjusting his tie. "The limo's here so we're gonna go pick up Matt. I'll see you guys there."   
  
Buffy stopped looking at Mia's dress long enough to kiss her husband goodbye and then they left.   
  
In the limo, Aaron was in his own world with his Discman on. Angel closed his eyes and wondered where all the time went.   
  
  
*****   
  
  
//There's two things I know for sure  
  
She was sent here from Heaven  
  
And she's daddy's little girl  
  
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night  
  
She talks to Jesus, and I close my eyes  
  
And I thank God for all the joy in my life\\   
  
  
"Isn't that the cutest?" Buffy pointed to their four year old. "She's saying her prayers."   
  
"Loudly," Aaron said as he passed her room on his way to the bathroom.   
  
"Now I lay me down to sleep..."   
  
"Did you teach her that?" Angel asked.   
  
Buffy shook her head. "I guess she picked it up on her own."   
  
He watched her with wonder. Joanna was kneeling by the side of her bed, her tiny hands clasped in front of her. Her eyes were shut so tight as she spoke. Angel wished he had a camera to capture the moment.   
  
When she finished, she noticed Angel standing in the doorway. Buffy had already gone to make sure Aaron was really brushing his teeth and not just running water in the sink.   
  
"Daddy!" she flew at him and he picked her up. She kissed his cheek and then laid her sleepy head on his shoulder. "Love you, Daddy."   
  
  
*****   
  
  
"Daddy," Joanna whispered in his ear. "Daddy."   
  
"He won't wake up like that." Aaron said.   
  
"DADDY!" Mia shouted.   
  
"Great, now you woke up Mom too." Aaron rolled his eyes.   
  
Angel sat up and looked at his children. "What's all this?"   
  
"Happy Father's Day Daddy." Joanna said. Aaron set a tray on Angel's lap and he smiled when he saw what they'd made him. Cold "hot" tea, orange juice filling the glass only half-way and toast with 'Daddy' written with jelly.   
  
"Thank you," he told them. "I love it."   
  
"I made the toast Daddy." Joanna said proudly. She beamed while he ate it and when he finished, giggled when he brought her into the bed and tickled her.   
  
She planted a kiss on his cheek. "I love you Daddy."   
  
"Love you too baby."   
  
  
*****   
  
  
//Sweet sixteen today  
  
She's looking like her Mama  
  
A little more every day  
  
One part woman  
  
The other part girl  
  
To perfume and makeup  
  
From ribbons and curls  
  
Trying her wings out in a great big world\\   
  
  
"A car?!" Joanna's eyes were wide. "You got me a car?!"   
  
"We thought you'd earned it." Angel said.   
  
"No, he just couldn't stand the thought of you driving around in some old pickup." Buffy said laughing.   
  
"Will I get a car when I turn sixteen?" Mia asked.   
  
"I didn't get a car." Aaron said.   
  
"Thank you Daddy!" Joanna wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I love you."   
  
He pulled a long box out of his pocket. "Don't thank me just yet."   
  
She looked at him in surprise as she took the velvet box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful ankle bracelet.   
  
"I picked it out," Buffy said. "Sweet Sixteen is special for a girl."   
  
Joanna gave her mother, then her father hugs, but no kisses this time.   
  
  
//Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer  
  
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair  
  
"You know how much I love you, Daddy,  
  
But if you don't mind,  
  
I'm only going to kiss you on the cheek this time."  
  
  
With all that I've done wrong  
  
I must have done something right  
  
To deserve her love every morning  
  
And butterfly kisses at night\\   
  
  
*****   
  
  
The church looked beautiful, just as she'd wanted. Flowers everywhere, all her friends and family gathered there.   
  
The groom was pacing nervously at the alter. Bridesmaids were gathered in the hall, waiting impatiently.   
  
And Joanna was waiting while her mother fixed her veil for her.   
  
Angel knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"   
  
"As long as you're not Matt," she said, giggling.    
  
  
//She'll change her name today  
  
She'll make a promise  
  
And I'll give her away  
  
Standing in the bride room   
  
Just staring at her  
  
She asked me what I'm thinking  
  
And I said "I'm not sure,  
  
I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl."  
  
Then she leaned over... and gave me...   
  
Butterfly kisses, with her Mama there  
  
Sticking little flowers all up in her hair  
  
"Walk me down the aisle, Daddy, it's just about time"  
  
"Does my wedding gown look pretty, Daddy?"  
  
"Daddy, don't cry."  
  
With all that I've done wrong  
  
I must have done something right  
  
To deserve her love every morning  
  
And butterfly kisses\\   
  
  
The wedding went quickly, almost too quickly for me. She's only twenty-three years old, and even though her mother was younger than that when we got married, geez, she was younger than that when we had Aaron, it's still hard for me. Joanna is my oldest daughter, and she was always my little angel.   
  
  
//I couldn't ask God for more, man, this is what love is  
  
I know I've gotta let her go, but I'll always remember  
  
Every hug in the morning, and butterfly kisses...\\   
  
  
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."   
  
Matt lifted her veil and kissed my little girl, his wife. Everyone stood up and applauded and Buffy was crying. I hadn't realized it until just then, but I was crying too.  



	3. A Baby Of Her Own

TITLE: All Grown Up  
AUTHOR: Goddess Isa  
EMAIL: goddessisa@aol.com  
SUMMARY: Angel realizes his daughter truly is all grown up. This is the last part in the Fatherhood Trilogy. The first two parts are 'Baby Steps' and 'Butterfly Kisses'. In case you didn't read them, you can find them at my webpage, http://planetslaythis.homestead.com, and also here at fanfiction.net  
SPOILER: None  
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just email me & lmk where it's going - I like seeing my name in print =)  
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd have to have to Slay for it. =P  
RATING: TV-PG  
DISCLAIMER: Buffy and Angel belong to Joss, but I'm pretty sure everyone else in this fic belongs to me!   
  
  
  
My baby girl is all grown up.   
  
She's been that way for years, but I guess I've been blind to it all. Senior prom, graduation, college, marriage, all representing what I think Buffy has seen for years. I think I ignored it on purpose. No one wants to think of their daughter that way. An adult, someone who doesn't need you to be there twenty-four-seven anymore. I know some parents consider that a blessing, but not me.   
  
I wanted them to stay little forever. Aaron, Mia and Joanna.   
  
She wasn't our first-born, that was Aaron. And she's not our baby, that's Mia.   
  
She's my first daughter though, and from day one, she was Daddy's Little Girl.   
  
Joanna always wanted to please me. And when her brother and sister were happiest running around outside with Willow and Xander's son or Spike and Amy's daughter, or Cordelia and Doyle's kittens, Joanna was content to stay beside me.   
  
We spent hours playing in her bedroom when she was little. Buffy was busy nursing and taking care of Mia, so it was natural that I wound up on Barbie Duty with Joanna most nights. The dream house you could buy didn't have an elevator, and Joanna wanted one, so I built it for her. I built Mia one too, when she was old enough, but she never really played with it. When Joanna became too old to play with her dolls, she still kept the house in her room.   
  
When she and Matt got married, and she moved out of our house, she took everything I ever made her along, but all of a sudden, she wasn't ours anymore. She was Matt's.   
  
It was hard to accept that she wasn't at home every day, waiting for me when I finished my work in the office and came upstairs.   
  
"You have to let go," Buffy once told me. And I guess she was right. I just wasn't ready.   
  
I'm still not.   
  
Don't have a whole lot of choice now though. I'm scared to death. My little girl is all alone in there and I have no idea how she's doing.   
  
"Relax," Buffy touched my arm. "I had a C-section with Mia, remember? She's going to be fine."   
  
"You weren't having twins!" I shouted. People stared and Buffy tightened her grip on me.   
  
"I wasn't giving birth to a feature Slayer, either."   
  
"No, you *were* the Slayer."   
  
"I'm just as scared as you are," Matt said to me. "Maybe more."   
  
Bullshit. Pure bullshit.   
  
"I'm sure the doctor will come get us any minute."   
  
Thirty-seven minutes passed before we heard anything. And even then, all we were told was that she was in recovery and that Matt could go see her.   
  
Another hour passed and Buffy kept digging her nails into my arm to keep me from raising hell at the nurses' station.   
  
"Do you remember how Giles and and my mom were when we had our kids? It's normal to be impatient but there's nothing we can do but wait."   
  
I was annoyed but I knew she was right.   
  
"Excuse me?" a nurse came into the waiting room and everyone in there looked at her. "Are Joanna Keeslar's parents here?"   
  
"Us," I stood up.   
  
"Come with me please,"   
  
We followed her, and I counted the squeaks of her shoes to door of Joanna's room. Eighty-three. Buffy knocked and Joanna called out, "Come in."   
  
We entered and there she was.   
  
Her hair pulled back into a ponytail, her cheeks flushed, there laid my little girl. Matt was standing behind her, helping her hold two tiny bundles.   
  
"Mom, Dad, meet Matthew Elijah and Angel Elizabeth." Joanna said proudly.   
  
"Joanna, they're adorable," Buffy told her softly. She walked to the side of the bed and kissed her cheek. "I am so proud of you."   
  
"Daddy?" Joanna asked. "Don't you wanna hold her? After all, she is your namesake."   
  
Carefully, I took my first granddaughter into my arms. "I can't believe you named her after me."   
  
"We figured one guy named Angel in the family was enough." Matt said and we all laughed.   
  
"I just thought Angel and Elijah made for good twin names without being too corny." Joanna explained.   
  
"It's perfect." Buffy said. "Can I hold him?"   
  
  
*****   
  
  
The next day, I went to see Joanna and the babies again and found her alone in her room. The babies were being given a checkup and Matt was home getting some rest.   
  
"I did it Dad," she said proudly. "I'm a mother. I hope I can be half as good a parent as you and Mom were."   
  
"You'll be wonderful."   
  
"How can you be sure?" her eyes looked at me with so much concern, so much worry. I know she has a lot of faith in anything I tell her, but you could also tell she was riding an emotional roller coaster on this one.   
  
"You look at those twins the same way your mother and I used to look at you guys when you were little."   
  
She nodded. "Like you'd do anything for them."   
  
"Wouldn't you?"   
  
"Definitely." she waited a few moments. "Dad?"   
  
"Hmm?"   
  
"This is hard for you, huh?"   
  
"Am I that obvious?"   
  
She laughed. "It's just that I know you're having a hard time with me being an adult."   
  
"I am," I admitted.   
  
"I'm twenty-six years old Dad."   
  
"You're always going to be my little girl. That's just all there is to it."   
  
"I know Daddy, but don't you think maybe it's time to let go?" she laughed again. "Maybe Mia would like a turn being the one you spoil."   
  
"I spoiled all three of you."   
"I know."   
  
"I guess I should go. Matt'll probably be back soon."   
  
"Yeah, I guess." she waited until I was almost out the door. "Daddy?"   
  
"Yeah, baby?"   
  
"I'm still your daughter. That's never going to change."   
  
I just looked at her for a moment before I left. To a degree, she was right, and I almost hated admitting that to myself. That was like the final say on her being all grown up and I just wasn't ready to do that yet.  



End file.
